ONLINE MASTER CLASS
with Sam Abell
A Nobechi Creative Exclusive
5 classes (M, W, F, M, W) from January 27th - February 5th, 2025
5:00PM CST / 6:00PM EST / 3:00PM PST
OVERVIEW:
This workshop is an exclusive online opportunity — only available through Nobechi Creative— to enter the mind of renowned photographer and teacher Sam Abell as he discusses your work and his in an intimate and intensive setting. The goal of this legendary workshop is straightforward — make stronger photographs by understanding how to do so. This is accomplished by Sam breaking down successful photographs into their basic elements and analyzing what makes them work. There will be daily assignments, analysis of the results and dedicated one-on-one sessions with Sam. By week's end, you will be armed with durable thoughts about how meaningful photographs are made. And you will be making them.
LETTER FROM SAM ABELL:
Greetings friends,
I'm inviting you to join me in my series of online workshops.
I'm offering such an experience because of my close collaboration with George Nobechi and Nobechi Creative. Together we've crafted an approach to online learning that I believe most closely matches the experience of a 'live' workshop. By that I mean a deep, transformative encounter with your work, the work of others and with the thoughts that have gone into my work. Our shared goal: To find ourselves in our work and in the world.
I emphasize the word work. As in a live workshop our five days together--and apart--will be spent generating new work on assignment, examining that work critically and integrating it into our existing bodies of work.
I will be guiding the experience but fuel for our journey will come from you. And though there will be focused, serious conversations about photography this is not a passive lecture series. It's a 'roll up your sleeves and work' experience, the benefits of which will be realized most by those who come at the workshop as though we were together on location. I, too, will join you in working on the assignments.
And we will enjoy ourselves. I have missed you--missed our conversations, our good humor and our thoughtful silences. I look forward to being with you again.
Sam
SCHEDULE:
There will be five days of class. Sessions will be recorded for viewing on a private channel exclusive to participants so that you can review Sam’s lessons after the workshop is complete. Please note that you will also need to dedicate time outside of class to work on your assignments each day.
You will also each have a half-hour one-on-one session scheduled with Sam before class begins. During these sessions, you can choose to have a portfolio review with Sam or speak with him about anything photography-related that you would like. The order of meeting with Sam will be decided in a random draw on the first day of class.
There will also be an additional, 6th session in the form of a wrap-up session with Sam; the date for this will be chosen together by class participants.
Participants will also receive an invitation to their own private group within Ibasho, our community photography platform available only to those in your class so that you can share photos, feedback, and ideas.
Day One, Monday, January 27th: On Seeing
An overview on how 'seeing photographically' is a unique aesthetic experience that involves discrimination and discipline. Concepts of composition--including framing, layer creation, micro-composition, and 'moment capture'--are surveyed in enlightening frame by frame, thought by thought sequences. The goal: understanding how to create inevitable (seeming) photographs.
Day Two, Wednesday, January 29th: The Power of Framing
A session devoted to a thorough analysis of framing as the foundation of photography. Included are examples of 'interior framing' and 'invisible framing' that greatly enhance the impact of images.
Day Three, Friday, January 31st: Deep Photography
An examination of how photographs are 'constructed' in layers to draw viewers deeply into one's compositions—and consciousness.
Day Four, Monday, February 3rd: The Finely Tuned Photograph
In this presentation, the critical importance of micro-composition is shown and discussed in depth. Special emphasis is given to environmental portraiture and to the creation of 'whole' photographs.
Day Five, Wednesday, February 5th: The Life of a Photograph
Craft isn't enough. Compelling photographs have heart. In this session, Sam summarizes how to put yourself into your body of work with the most consistency, clarity, and strength.
CLASS LEVEL:
For intermediate to advanced photographers. Students should have a good understanding of their cameras and how to prepare images for feedback sessions as technical settings are not taught in this class.
CLASS SIZE:
A maximum of 8 students
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Required equipment:
Computer/Tablet (Viewing on a smartphone is not recommended due to the screen size)
Internet Connection
Zoom Account (free subscription level is fine)
Digital Camera and file-handling software
Please prepare a portfolio of 20~30 images ahead of time for your one-on-ones
Tuition
$2,250 per person (Japan residents add 10% consumption tax)
meet your teacher
Sam Abell
Sam Abell’s forty-year career has been dedicated to achieving artistic expression through documentary photography. He has pursued his goals primarily through lengthy, in-depth assignments for National Geographic, where for thirty years he was a contract and staff photographer. At the same time, he has maintained a career as an artist, teacher and author. He is also a charter member of Canon's Explorers of Light program.
Testimonials
“I am so incredibly thrilled that you are providing these rich, online learning experiences!
Sam’s workshop was the most powerful workshop I have attended.”
“Sam has a way of teaching that makes you feel like he has taken you gently into his mind to see the wonder that he so magically creates in his photographs, yet show humility in his work by sharing the lessons from his long dedication to his practice that got him to those photos in the first place. The week of learning was intensive, but never did it feel intense, as meaning labored, because Sam made the classes so enjoyable and engaging. I loved listening to his stories. Likewise, he puts so much thought into the work we made during the week, giving real insightful feedback as well as pulling out his own photographs whenever he felt that it helped us to better understand what he meant. I found his lessons were very grounding and inspiring, which will stay with me for a very long time.”
“Sam’s workshop has been the most impactful and influential. I go back and watch the videos, I review my notes, I think about class when I’m out composing my photographs and when I look at the photos of others. It is his perfectionism, his attention to detail, and his focus on the structure which continue to shape my approach to photography. I’m always looking for the horizon line and attempting to employ the no-touching policy. I try to compose in full-frame, step back from a scene instead of forward, and work to exclude objects around the edge of the frame that would distract.
In short - Sam has made my photographic life much more difficult, but infinitely more rewarding when it all comes together!
Love what you’re doing at Nobechi!”
“The workshop was dynamite and impacted me greatly. I feel like I gained a number of insights and principles that will help me to go beyond taking pretty pictures to taking interesting pictures, which is super exciting to me. Sam’s insights are endlessly compelling and always delivered in such a Zen, thought-provoking way. That Sam brings his full attention and passion for photography to his teaching is evident in how fully he opens himself to the work of others, how incredibly insightful he is about what he’s seeing and what else may have been possible there. He never -NEVER- makes a student feel self-conscious about their work, is ALWAYS able to wrest goodness from the photos submitted. I was really nervous at first about putting my pictures out there for SAM ABELL to critique, but boy, does he approach the task with respect and compassion, all the while not compromising his artistic sense. By the end of the workshop I not only wasn’t nervous about getting Sam’s feedback, I was anxious in a positive way to hear what he had so say. Good on you for that, Sam. Being a part of this workshop was a blessing, plain and simple.”